By Travis Seymour
Olympian Chelsea Edghill faced a setback in her quest to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics after losing her opening match on Tuesday at the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Americas Olympic Qualification Tournament in Lima, Peru.
Edghill, who is the only table tennis player from Guyana and the English-speaking Caribbean to ever reach the Olympics, will have another chance to secure her spot on Thursday.
In her initial match, Edghill competed against Venezuelan Roxy Gonsalves in a five-set thriller in the round of 16.
Gonsalves took the first two sets 11-6 and 11-7.
Edghill fought back to win the third set 11-9 but ultimately fell as Gonsalves claimed the next set 11-6 and the final set 15-13, winning four sets to one.
Edghill’s performance in Stage 1 will determine her seeding for Stage 2, along with her world ranking.
The competition format allows all players two opportunities to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics, with the top candidates also eligible for a Universality Spot.
Former Caribbean champion Shemar Britton was unable to participate in the qualification event due to his final year exams at Hugh Wooding Law School. Britton, like Edghill, aims to secure one of the tripartite spots for the Paris Summer Olympics.